Updates NASA's CCDev-2 Program

[GoForPDI]

Dragon - Hell yeah, an obvious choice.
Dream Chaser - Reminds me of the Soviet Spiral concept, so YEAH!

 

[Dambuster]

Dream Chaser all the way, IMO!

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA have just announced the CCDev-2 winners!

They are:

• Blue Origin/New Shepard ($22m).
• SNC/Dream Chaser ($80m).
• SpaceX/Dragon ($75m).
• Boeing/CST-100 ($92.3m).

At least we get one spaceplane! :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA Awards Next Set Of Commercial Crew Development Agreements

NASA has awarded four Space Act Agreements in the second round of the agency's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev2) effort. Each company will receive between $22 million and $92.3 million to advance commercial crew space transportation system concepts and mature the design and development of elements of their systems, such as launch vehicles and spacecraft.

The selectees for CCDev2 awards are:
-- Blue Origin, Kent, Wash., $22 million
-- Sierra Nevada Corporation, Louisville, Colo., $80 million
-- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Hawthorne, Calif., $75 million
-- The Boeing Company, Houston, $92.3 million

"We're committed to safely transporting U.S. astronauts on American-made spacecraft and ending the outsourcing of this work to foreign governments," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "These agreements are significant milestones in NASA's plans to take advantage of American ingenuity to get to low-Earth orbit, so we can concentrate our resources on deep space exploration."

The goal of CCDev2 is to accelerate the availability of U.S. commercial crew transportation capabilities and reduce the gap in American human spaceflight capability. Through this activity, NASA also may be able to spur economic growth as potential new space markets are created.

Once developed, crew transportation capabilities could become available to commercial and government customers.

"The next American-flagged vehicle to carry our astronauts into space is going to be a U.S. commercial provider," said Ed Mango, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager. "The partnerships NASA is forming with industry will support the development of multiple American systems capable of providing future access to low-Earth orbit."

These awards are a continuation of NASA's CCDev initiatives, which began in 2009 to stimulate efforts within U.S. industry to develop and demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities. For more information about NASA's Commercial Crew Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

 

[Urwumpe]

Still no surprise that Boeing got the biggest of the share for free - it is not like they have done much there.

 

[Zachstar]

The Lazy B gets the biggest slice again bah.

 

[Krikkit]

I am not sure what NASA sees in Blue Origin

I mean their stuff reminds me more of a prototype mars lander accent stage than a commercial crew alternative.

 

[Capt_hensley]

I am not sure what NASA sees in Blue Origin

I mean their stuff reminds me more of a prototype mars lander accent stage than a commercial crew alternative.

All their stuff currently is Sub-Orbital, so I have to agree. What could they offer? Maybe some kind of SSTO like DC-X was supposed to be.

 

[Ark]

Boeing? Really?

Somebody explain why they got more money without actually building or flying anything.

Oh, right, because it's Boeing.

 

[Urwumpe]

All their stuff currently is Sub-Orbital, so I have to agree. What could they offer? Maybe some kind of SSTO like DC-X was supposed to be.

Also a lot of basic research in terms of hydrogen/oxygen engines for commercial spaceflight operations. That is their current development focus.

 

[anemazoso]

Boeing? Really?

Somebody explain why they got more money without actually building or flying anything.

Oh, right, because it's Boeing.

I think in addition to it being Boeing their is some merit in picking the CST-100. NASA's stated goal is to foster several systems at once so their capsule is automatically on the list. Also I believe they will be spending a like amount themselves.

All in all I think we can all see the inevitable outcome of CCDev. Falcon9/Dragon are I think the team to beat at this point. They're the frontrunner by far. Followed by AtlasV/CST-100 or possibly (but not probably) is AtlasV/Dreamchaser. Blue Origin is hard to gauge and I don't want to discount their potential but I think the biconic thing (and I love the concept) is just not going to get there. The capsules and Dreamchaser have a heritage but a biconic has never flown. It may end up costing to much to prove out the flight characteristics from orbital speeds on down for the biconic.


But Boeing still has to develop an escape system as well as man rate the Atlas V. Meanwhile Falcon9/Dragon will have flown 11 missions plus who knows how many Falcon9 commercial launches. Not only that, Falcon9 might take a lot of business from ULA over the next 4-5 years which will no doubt raise the price per launch of Atlas V and Delta IV.

I don't know, just my 2 cents.

 

[N_Molson]

At least that's another small step forward the launch of new manned spacecrafts. I prefer that to total inaction.

I'm pretty confident that Boeing will come out with a serious design. What I fear is that it could be a little to much expensive (the AtlasV itself is not cheap).

The lead of SpaceX can also be a weakness. They have made a lot of announcements, and now are expected to realize them. Like the Falcon Heavy. It can pay off, but it can be dangerous too.

The DreamChaser has potential because of its supposed reusability. It has to prove that its reconditioning between the flight could be cost-efficient and not take 6 months in launch delays.

I know nothing about the biconic concept, but I would be curious to see it fly !

I'd say that the competition is still quite open.

 

[Ark]

I'm really hoping to see SpaceX succeed. Boeing represents the old guard military industrial complex that is to blame for the ballooning cost of spaceflight. While I'm sure they are capable of coming up with a good, workable design, my personal belief is that it the cost of using it will bloat up to Shuttle proportions, no problem. Boeing & Co just have too many palms that need greased.

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: NASA deems rockets less critical in private space race

 

[orb]

NASA:

June 29, 2011​

MEDIA ADVISORY : 11-135
NASA's Partners Meet Milestones For Developing Future Commercial Spacecraft

WASHINGTON -- NASA's industry partners have met all their initial milestones in developing commercial crew transportation capabilities to reduce the gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability.

NASA posted its first status report on the agency's Commercial Crew Development 2 (CCDev2) program to its website. The report highlights the progress and accomplishments for the agency's commercial spaceflight development efforts. Designed to be a bi-monthly report, it is targeted toward the interested layperson and other non-technical stakeholders in order to keep them informed of our achievements.

"We're only 60 days into CCDev 2, and their progress is right on schedule," said Phil McAlister, NASA's acting director, commercial spaceflight development.

NASA's Commercial Crew Development program is investing financial and technical resources to stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities.

For the report and more information about CCDev2, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial​

NASA: Commercial Spaceflight - 60 Day Report (PDF)

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: NASA and ULA agree SAA to complete the human rating of Atlas V:

NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have announced an agreement for technical support via NASA’s Commercial Crew Program focusing on the human rating of the Atlas V launch vehicle. The unfunded act is expected to result in certifying Atlas V to launch NASA astronauts riding in vehicles such as the Dream Chaser, Boeing CST-100 and Blue Origin’s spacecraft.

{...}

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: NASA oversight of CCDev-2 Partners reveals progress milestones:

NASA’s key Commercial Crew Development (CCDev-2) drive appears to be progressing to plan, as four companies press on with the development of their manned vehicles, with an aim to transport crews to the International Space Station (ISS) by the middle of this decade – aided by Agency money, whilst allowing for the key oversight from NASA.

{...}

 

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: Rohrabacher Calls for Emergency CCDev Funding:

{...}

“I am calling on General Bolden, the NASA Administrator, to propose an emergency transfer of funding from unobligated balances in other programs, including the Space Launch System, to NASA’s commercial crew initiative. Funding should be used to speed up the efforts of the four current industry partners to develop their systems and potentially expand the recent awards to include the best applicants for launch vehicle development.”

{...}

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) issued that statement in reaction to the failure of Soyuz rocket and loss of the Progress M-12M cargo craft.

 

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: NASA’s CCDev 2 Progress Report:

NASA PR — NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP), together with its industry partners, continued progressing toward commercial human spaceflight capability by mid-decade by successfully completing all five planned milestones during this 60-day period.

• Readiness of a new cockpit simulator for Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft was verified and is now being used for engineering development tests.
• The tip fin airfoil design for the Dream Chaser was also selected.
• A launch abort system concept review for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which showed feasibility of their design concept
• Boeing’s CST100 “phase zero” safety review, which identified initial safety considerations and controls
• Boeing’s fourth CST100 integrated design review, which established design trade studies to be conducted before Boeing’s preliminary design review next year

Dream Chaser cockpit simulator. (Credit: Sierra Nevada Corporation)​

{...}

 

[Turbinator]

Aviation Week: SpaceX Plans 17 More Flights Before Launching Humans:

​

Test launch 17 more times, before it is ready. Let's see so with a proven track record of 1 launch a year, times 17 years. This means that the first operational spacefarce rocket will fly in 2028, right around the time we go back to the Moon.